Seiten

Donnerstag, 21. Januar 2016

Some people like to crochet - some people like to knit. I like both crafts and I really like designing fingerless gloves that have a bit of a special construction, e.g. started from the thumb or worked flat. They are all quite interesting for using up self-striping yarn. For some of these I have written both knitting and crochet versions - i.e. I have copied myself :)
Here's a list of these patterns.

U-Turn Mitts

These mitts are started with a magic cast on at the edge of the hand - and then forming a U shape around this cast on.
They mitts are worked flat - except for the thumb which is worked in the round.
The U-Turn mitts (crochet) were the first crochet pattern I ever published. Somebody's comment gave me the idea of trying to work out one of my patterns in crochet in the first place.

Circle Mitts & Kreisel Fingerless Gloves
These mitts are started at the thumb and then grow in circle shape around it. When the mitt is big enough to fit around the hands, the sides are joined at the edge of the hand and the mitt is finished with the shaft. In the knit version, you switch between knitting in the round and knitting back and forth. In the crochet version, you only knit back and forth to achieve a continuous structure.

Pieces of Eight / Octavo
These mitts are also started at the thumb. Then the eight shape is worked - and finally the mitt is "widened" by back and forth rows. These mitts are a bit of a topological challenge, but the effect is quite beautiful.

Freitag, 15. Januar 2016

I've recently been rereading some Jane Austen novels - I especially like "Sense and Sensibility". That's what inspired me to knit a pair of long wrist warmers - they might be useful during a cold winter in a Devonshire cottage.
Of course, they are useful in modern times as well. Especially, if you work in a draughty office :)

CO42 and join in round, place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round

Rounds 1, 2 and 3: * p3, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p2, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p1, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * k7, p3, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p1, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p2, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Chart for rounds 1 to 18 (1st and 2nd repeat of diamond pattern)

Repeat rounds 1 to 18 once more (2nd repeat of diamond pattern)

To widen the wrist warmers there are now increases (mk1p) made in the purl channels - each time in the first row of one repeat and in turns in the first and the second purl channel of one pattern repeat, i.e. the purl sequences get wider.

(3rd repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p1 mk1p p2, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p4, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p3, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p2, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * p1, k7, p3, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p2, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p3, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(4th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p4, k1, p1 mk1p p2, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p4, k1, p4, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p3, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p2, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * p1, k7, p4, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p2, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p3, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(5th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p2, mk1p p2, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p5, k1, p4, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p4, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p3, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * p2, k7, p4, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p3, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p4, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(6th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p5, k1, p2 mk1p p2, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p5, k1, p5, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p4, k3, p5, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p3, k5, p5, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * p2, k7, p5, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p3, k5, p5, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p4, k3, p5, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Knit round 2 once and then rounds 2 to 18 of the 6th repeat. Then knit round 2 two more times and bind off loosely in pattern.

Samstag, 9. Januar 2016

Recently when I looked at the list of patterns on my blog's Ravelry Page I noticed that I had patterns starting with nearly every letter of the alphabet ... nearly. That made me want to complete the list ... and I finally made it in December with the Xmas Star Mitts.

I must admit that I "designed" the names of at least two patterns to have a complete set of all the letters of the alphabet (K and X were the most difficult :). But I am quite proud to have a full alphabet of free knitting and crochet patterns anyway.

Donnerstag, 7. Januar 2016

Stylish with an interesting construction - these crochet fingerless gloves are worked flat and use short rows to form a circle around the thumb. Because of this unusual construction, they are great to show off variegated yarn.
These mitts are the crochet version of my knitted Starburst mitts.

Since I had some problems to find a name I asked the community of knittingparadise.com to help me come up with a name - thank you all for your great ideas. I finally settled for Sparkler - to go with the name of the knitted version of these mitts :)

ridge: in this pattern I use the term "ridge" to describe two rows of sctbl stitches.

crochet short rows (as done in this pattern (*)): work sc's (or sctbl's) up to the stitch indicated, then turn work (without a turning-chain) and start into the 2nd sc; when you're working over this turn in a following row, always crochet into the turning-sc as well. See pictures below. (*) there may be different methods out there, feel free to try them.

Short Rows

connect and turn with slip stitch: join the last stitch of one row to the edge of another side: insert your hook into the last stitch of the row AND into the stitch of the part you want to connect with (called here: the other side) - see picture 1 below. Yarn over and draw yarn through two loops (picture 2 below). Then complete the sc. Do a slip stitch into the next row on the other side before starting the next row (picture 3 below).

Connect and Turn with Slip Stitch

join with single crochet: as shown in this YouTube video by tlcinspirations - however, in this pattern it's not used to join one side to the other, but to join the last row to the very first row.

General Construction

The mitts are worked flat in eight sections (from A to H). The diagram shows how shows how the sections form the complete mitt, how many stitches there in a full row.

It also shows the mitt is to be folded and which parts are to be attached to which when finishing the mitts (or while you're knitting section F and G). Sections E, F, G, and H are mirror images of sections D, C, B, and A respectively, i.e. where there is an increase in A, there is an decrease in H - and the short row lenghts are mirrored as well.

Size and Gauge
This finished mitts measure 19cm in height - at their highest point. and about 19cm in circumference at the wrist.
11 rows of the used stitch (sctbl) equal 5 cm in height. And 12 stitches (sctbl) equal 5 cm in width.

Instructions

Section A

Chain 34 + 1 turning-chain

Ridge 1 : sctbl to end, tc; turn, sctbl all while placing to of the markers, M1 in the 9th stitch and M2 in the 12th stitch, tc

Ridge 11: sctbl to end, tc, turn, sctbl to last stitch before end, connect (you should now connect your row to the row marked with marker A) - while replacing to of the markers, M1 in the 9th stitch and M2 in the 12th stitch, tc